August Chamber Lunch at the Hampton Inn

The Kanab Area Chamber of Commerce holds monthly luncheons for its members and guests throughout the year. This month the event was held at the Hampton Inn. The Hampton Inn staff set up their lobby lounge for the large group that was expected and it was the perfect space for the 50 people that attended.

Chamber vice president Ron Thomas welcomed everyone including new and renewing chamber members, and then invited Hampton Inn general manager Lynn Jones to welcome everyone to the Kanab property. Next, Ron introduced the guest presenters from Coconino County, whose topic was the Grand Canyon North Rim Long-Term Recovery Plan. Traveling to Kanab from Flagstaff to address the luncheon group were Tim Carter, emergency management director for Coconino County; John Saltonstall, Coconino County economic development director; and Lena Fowler Coconino County District 5 Supervisor.

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Officially named the “Dragon Bravo & White Sage Fires Long-Term Recovery Plan”, it addresses the cascading economic, social, and environmental impacts of the 2025 Dragon Bravo and White Sage fires. These fires burned over 200,000 acres on the Kaibab Plateau and North Rim, destroying the historic Grand Canyon Lodge and disrupting regional tourism. The Plan was developed with a focus on quality of life, quality of the place, and quality of the experience for people.

Through input from many local, federal, and tribal stakeholders, recovery priorities were identified and actional strategies developed. The planning process yielded 37 different action items/plans with timelines from six months to 24+ months. These action items include everything from forest restoration, prescribed burns, support for the ranching industry, cultural and tribal considerations, trail rehab, and many others. The full Plan can be found at the Coconino County website under Economic Recovery Resources. The presenters stressed that the Plan does not belong solely to government but to the people of the region.

A year after the fire, many of the paved roads in the park are open, as are Cape Royal, Point Imperial, and the North Kaibab Trail. Remaining campgrounds will be reopening in 2027. As Supervisor Fowler stated, correct messaging is of the utmost importance so that it is known far and wide that northern Arizona is not closed! She, along with Kane County tourism director Janette Peatross, asked everyone to help spread the word in whatever ways they can that the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is open!